Thinking about all the reasons we have for praising our LORD.

It Is Good for the Heart

Often, when people are concerned about getting to heaven, they will do everything within their power to try and make sure they get there. That’s when they create problems for themselves. Seeing and listening to other people go through certain rituals that seem very religious and pious, they will feel that those rituals will also make them appear religious and devout in God’s sight.

These rituals might include rules on what they can eat, the way they say prayers, the way they show repentance, a monastic life style, the clothes they wear, the honoring of saints, and various acts that are meant to show their devoutness. But, the problem is that as we read through God’s word to each and every one of us, there is absolutely no mention of getting to heaven through any of these various religious acts.

So, what does God tell us? One helpful verse is Hebrews 13:9,

Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited.

The whole book of Hebrews talks a lot about the importance of living by faith — Christ being the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies of a Savior — redemption only through faith in the work of Christ Jesus — and accepting and trusting God’s discipline and leading. All this is God’s grace towards us.

God Almighty wants our hearts “to be strengthened by grace”. God definitely does not want us to get “carried away by varied and strange teachings.” These “varied and strange teachings” are all the man-made rules for so-called holy living that are not a part of God’s desire for us. All these man-made teachings cause us to not trust and love God as we should. How is that?

When we feel that we must be obeying various religious rituals in order to earn God’s approval, we are always worried about whether or not we have done enough to please God. These “varied and strange teachings” can even make us bitter towards God and feel like we’re “under His thumb” of rules and regulations that are impossible to keep perfectly. They are not of faith.

Worst of all, imagining that we must follow these rules and regulations is actually a rejection of Jesus as our Savior. All of God’s word teaches us that we are saved by grace through faith in what Jesus has done for us. Jesus has lived the perfect life for us. We should not imagine that what Jesus has done for us is not good enough. What Jesus did for us is perfect, holy, and totally acceptable in God’s sight. Our sinful actions cannot make Jesus’ work better — so we should not be trying to add our so-called pious actions to what Jesus has already perfectly accomplished on our behalf.

Be happy in what Jesus has done. When we see and accept the beauty of Jesus’ love for us — and accept His work as our only way of redemption — “it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.”

We are relieved. We live in God’s grace and according to His love. In this goodness, we say, “Hallelujah! LORD, Your grace is more than sufficient to save us.”